(19)
(11) EP 1 785 795 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
18.01.2012 Bulletin 2012/03

(43) Date of publication A2:
16.05.2007 Bulletin 2007/20

(21) Application number: 06023218.8

(22) Date of filing: 08.11.2006
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
G05B 19/4093(2006.01)
B29C 70/54(2006.01)
 G05B 19/41(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA HR MK RS

(30) Priority: 09.11.2005 US 269834

(71) Applicant: The Boeing Company
Chicago IL 66066-2016 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Drumheller, Michael
    Seattle, WA 98115 (US)
  • Klein, Frederik W.
    Seattle, WA 98115 (US)
  • Jones, Alan K.
    Seattle, WA 98115 (US)

(74) Representative: Land, Addick Adrianus Gosling et al
Arnold & Siedsma Sweelinckplein 1
2517 GK Den Haag
2517 GK Den Haag (NL)

   


(54) Tape course generation method and apparatus for programming a composite tape lamination machine


(57) A tape course generator produces tape course definitions for use in programming a CNC composite tape lamination machine. The tape course generator includes a reference surface parameterizer that maps a contoured surface onto a parametric reference surface, and a reference plane instantiator that maps the reference surface onto a reference plane. The tape course generator also includes a tape boundary plotter that plots a tape boundary, and a boundary mapper that maps the tape boundary and a ply boundary into the reference plane. In addition, the tape course generator includes an intersection locator that identifies intersections of the ply boundary and the tape boundary, and a tape course delimiter that defines tape cuts and determines which points in the reference plane are within a tape course. Moreover, the tape course generator includes a tape course transformer that maps the defined tape course back onto the contoured surface.







Search report